Experienced campaigner has steadied the UoW ship that was teetering on the brink

MEDWIN HUGHES is both a product and a champion of Welsh higher education.

MEDWIN HUGHES is both a product and a champion of Welsh higher education.

He is passionate about its mission and is extremely optimistic for its future. The glass is undoubtedly half full.

And it is just as well. The vice-chancellor’s whirlwind six weeks in charge of the University of Wales (UoW) have been testing to say the least.

Investigations, documentaries and age-old charters have all made the headlines and ensured a baptism of fire like no other.

But Professor Hughes is an experienced campaigner who has steadied a ship teetering on the brink.

Revelations broadcast last year by BBC Wales tainted the university’s reputation and subsequent scrutiny from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) did nothing to quell mounting disquiet.

Education Minister Leighton Andrews launched his own investigation and a torrent of criticism – from nearly all angles – followed.

But the McCormick Review into higher education (HE) governance appears the most likely catalyst for last month’s “historic decision” to transform the UoW.

Commissioned by the Welsh Government and led by former BBC Scotland controller John McCormick, the report called on the UoW to address issues of quality and structure.

It warned that maintaining the status quo was unsustainable and if structural change and collaboration was not viable, the university should cease recruitment from September 2012.

It said its history and significance was undeniable, but the issue today is whether it has a continuing role in a sector which requires individual institutions to become stronger and more self-reliant.

The UoW council last month marked a “new beginning” by agreeing to unify with Swansea Metropolitan and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David under Trinity’s 190-year-old charter.

The collaboration will see the overarching UoW join with two campus-based institutions to form a fully integrated entity offering only University of Wales Trinity Saint David degrees.

Prof Hughes said the revised plans (the universities had previously agreed to unite under the UoW charter) would best meet the recommendations laid out by McCormick.

“There was a sense of purpose and a clear commitment that although this entity [UoW] had served Wales for so long, it had to change,” he said.

“Wales needs strong brands and strong national universities – the University of Wales Trinity Saint David is one of those strong brands. My role as vice-chancellor, working with colleagues, will be to develop that university into one of the key providers within the HE sector.

“It is very important that universities learn from their history and have the confidence to reflect and move on and evolve to deliver clear outcomes.”

To many, the dissolution of the UoW under the charter of Trinity Saint David is a sad but inevitable end to 120 years’ history.

Prof Hughes strongly disagrees and his reasons are twofold. One, Wales’ university is by no means “dead” – and two – its evolution is nothing but positive.

He conceded that the UoW had endured “cloudy storms” but is adamant intense public scrutiny was not the root cause of its evolution.

He said that in merging under the charter of Trinity Saint David, the UoW had been faithful to its trustees and core values.

“In that weather forecasting of HE, the university council took a clear and decisive decision to change management that is best for HE and will deliver for Wales,” he said.

“It is fair to say that the UoW council considered carefully the McCormick Review and were looking to make sure that we create a new university that will play a role within the HE sector in Wales. In their understanding of the McCormick Review, I think they consider they have met those key recommendations.

“There have been more commissions into the future of the UoW than any other pubic body that I know. That in itself says something. People never really knew what it [the UoW] was.

“It’s had to evolve, change and try to develop and at different times in history it has found itself within a different set of circumstances. Over the last six or seven weeks, the UoW has found itself within a different set of circumstances.

“What it managed to do was to critically reflect, even in that difficult time, on what was the best thing to do and how best it could be faithful to the aspirations of its founding fathers.

“The council members had the confidence in themselves as trustees to create something different. They decided that the time was right to look to another evolving chapter.

“In a period where some very historic decisions have been taken, we need now that opportunity to craft provision and move forward to secure the integration – that in itself is a key task.”

A television programme aired last month showed an undercover reporter paying £1,500 in cash for a bogus qualification from one of several London colleges linked to the UoW.

Prof Hughes said the programme had uncovered “very serious issues” that were now in the hands of the police.

“Clearly, in the context of what I saw, if those accusations are true, and it’s not for me to say that they are, they were very serious issues and the UoW was a victim of crime,” he said.

“I have been very clear that the UoW was not involved, in any way, in selling bogus certificates or bogus degrees.”

Nevertheless, the documentary sparked calls from the St David’s Day Group of five Welsh universities for the institution to be wound up.

“They are entitled to their views and I respect the views of my colleagues,” said Prof Hughes.

“I don’t agree with all of their comments however I feel strongly now that we are all working to deliver a stronger HE sector. We need to work together for the benefit of Wales and that is something that I am very keen to do.”

Following pressure on UoW management to resign, council chairman Hugh Thomas last month announced his resignation “in the best interests of the transformed university”.

Meanwhile, Shadow Education Minister Angela Burns has called for former UoW vice-chancellor Professor Marc Clement to accept “complete responsibility for what happened on his watch”.

Defending Prof Clement, Prof Hughes said: “Marc has taken up the role of president and is a senior member of management whose role is focusing on research, innovation and enterprise.

“It is clear to me, in the context of the skill-set Marc has, that he has got an enormous contribution to make in the context of innovation, enterprise and making a difference in that area within the university.”

Prof Hughes will have overseen his third institutional merger when the UoW, Swansea Metropolitan and Trinity Saint David come together officially next August.

Prof Hughes said each of the universities’ assets – like the UoW Press – would be pooled together to form a “key part” of the new institution.

When asked, he said it was “impossible to say” at this stage what the full implications of the three-way merger would be for staff.

“We need strong, national universities with very clear missions,” said Prof Hughes. “They will be different – the last thing we want is six or seven institutions that are all the same – but all will be focusing their efforts on delivering in the context of Wales and internationally.”

Prof Hughes said the sector must work together and develop “networks of excellence” for the good of Wales’ economic and social development.

A “smart, creative country”, he championed the role of HE in Wales and its ability to source more international funding.

“HE in Wales has delivered and has managed to make a difference. It’s a good story and there are clear outcomes – sometimes we don’t celebrate that enough,” he said.

“The challenge now is to build on that and maximise the potential of the various institutions in an international context. We are in a testing time where universities have to critically reflect upon their role and their key mission – and how they can, through extended networks, create stronger institutions which can make a real contribution to the HE sector and deliver clear outcomes.

“I passionately believe in HE and I also believe universities and a strong HE sector is important in the context of a nation.”

Wales’ university leaders this year drew a line in the sand and agreed to a new “strategic approach” that they believe will bring about fewer, but stronger HE institutions.

A firm commitment by vice-chancellors to work collaboratively marked a watershed in the sector’s long history and made university mergers inevitable.

Following a meeting of representative body Higher Education Wales, university leaders confirmed a new approach was “essential” and they would drive forward plans to halve the number of Welsh universities.

“The sector has made a clear commitment that HE as an entity will work together in order to deliver. I am confident that every university will respond to that in a positive and proactive way,” said Prof Hughes.

Funding is a hot topic in Welsh HE, following comments made by the Learned Society and Swansea’s vice-chancellor Richard B Davies.

Both believe Wales’ universities have been working on a shoestring and failure to boost the sector’s budget will impact on performance.

When asked if funding was an issue, Prof Hughes said: “If we are going to develop a HE sector that is going to make a real difference and compete – and there’s no reason why we can’t – we have got to make sure that the funding framework is fit for purpose.

“That funding framework involves government funding and a capacity to draw down from research. The evidence is clear that in order to deliver on clear targets we need a stronger base for funding.”

New funding arrangements will see students themselves asked to offset cuts to government grants.

Following the controversial Browne Review, universities this year announced plans to charge students three-times as much for their courses from September 2012.

By chance, Swansea Met and Trinity Saint David set the same £8,500-£9,000 rate, saving the need for last-ditch alterations pre-merger.

Prof Hughes said of Trinity’s decision to charge considerably more for its services: “We chose what we thought, in a measured way, was an appropriate rate that on the one hand looked after students while being mindful that there are key costs.

“If you want to deliver quality university education then it has to be met and I think all vice-chancellors are very much aware that if we are going to have the best we have got to make sure that we provide for it.”

Predicting the impact of the fledgling fee regime is extremely difficult though Prof Hughes said the early signs were good.

“The evidence so far, in the context of what I’m seeing and from David Warner, is that student engagement is working.

“Putting students at the core is crucial and engagement over the next six months is going to be very important,” he said.

Prof Hughes, vice-chancellor of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and a graduate of Aberystwyth University, assumed charge of the UoW on October 1. The dual role marks the start of a lengthy merger process which is due for completion next August

We need to work together for the benefit of Wales, that’s something that I am very keen to do

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